Conventional fluid handling for a biomedical instrument uses pumps, vessels, valves, regulators, connectors, tubing, and other components. These conventionally exist as discrete items in an instrument, so that a larger mass and volume is required.
For a compact biomedical instrument, it is highly desired that the fluid handling system be compact and miniaturized. Component selection should be judicious to minimize mass, volume, and power. In this manner, the fluidics module should encompass as many functions as possible to ensure maximal capability for the smallest footprint.
Having discrete components is an impediment to the development of compact biomedical instrumentation. Groups developing compact biomedical instrumentation have previously attempted to integrate a subset of these components. In these partially integrated approaches, the fluidics are still bulky and exist in large part as discrete components.
Microfluidics is an approach for removing the requirement for having significant amounts of tubing. While this is the case, microfluidics typically does not address mechanical components such as pressure regulators, solenoid valves, check valves, and pumps. These approaches typically still require conventional mechanical fluidic components that remain discrete.
While microfluidic integration is important to the field, generally, the greater the level of integration, the more complex and challenging the manufacturing. Furthermore, microfluidics is not as robust when it comes to areas where there are conventional mechanical components, such as pressure regulation and pumping.
In tight of the foregoing, it is desirable to have an improved fluidic manifold to reduce mass, volume, and power required.